Brian Marsella is a pianist, composer, band leader, and educator rising in the ranks of New York’s young music stars. His musical stylings can be heard on numerous recordings and on concert stages across the globe.
Growing up in Bucks County, PA, Marsella taught himself to play piano by ear, listening to his father play the saxophone and vibes. Since 2000, he has been an in-demand musician in the jazz, world, and avant-garde music scenes in New York and beyond.
Marsella has been a member of Cyro Baptista’s band, Beat the Donkey, since 2004, and is a founding member of Baptista’s quartet Banquet of the Spirits. The long list of musicians who Marsella has recorded and/or performed with include Matisyahu, John Zorn, Marshall Allen, Hassan Hakmoun, Billy Martin, and Odean Pope.
His discography includes seven albums on Zorn’s Tzadik label, including Zorn’s Mount Analogue. Most recently, Marsella can be heard on Jon Madof’s jewish afrobeat album, Zion80. His film credits include the performance and arrangement of Jessica Lurie’s score for Daniel Zezelji’s film, Fibonacci Bread, and original music for Jackie Pare’s tap dance documentary, Tap or Die.
In 2013, Marsella premiered his first project as a bandleader, iMAGiNARiUM, to a near sell-out crowd at The Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia. The group features his unique way of storytelling through dynamic compositions and some of the most talented musicians from New York and Philadelphia.